The Newsstand - KIDS FIRST!® News 2006

Christine
Pollock, Newsletter EditorQUOTE OF THE MONTH"Be
kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, Who loved
thee so fondly as he?
He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, And
joined in thy innocent glee." - Margaret Courtney

The
Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national,
not-for-profit organization founded in 1991. Because we
believe that media profoundly affect children, our mission
is to 1) teach children critical viewing skills and 2) to
increase the visibility and availability of quality children's
programs.

Summer
is hitting with a vengeance. It's 88 degrees out and my kids are
enjoying the river while I type away. They examine toads, snakes
and spiders carefully under magnifying glasses and collect them
in jars to bring home to show their father before we release them
back to their natural habitat. While I appreciate bugs and reptiles
and amphibians from a distance, I am very happy to send the children
to their father for close, hands-on scrutinization of nature. Chris
patiently encourages the children to ask questions and answers their
questions or helps them find the answers. It's one of many things
I love about him. The kids couldn't ask for a better father. I am
happy that we have a day this month where we set a day aside to
celebrate him, my dad, my father-in-law and all the other fathers
out there. Happy Father's Day to you all.

Two weeks ago
Chris, the kids and I went to the Walking
on Water Retreat Center to check out the place. They will be
running a KIDS FIRST!® film festival in the near future. We
saw the fabulous woodland setting where they are setting up an outdoor
theater on a hillside. Esther and Ramon, the camp's owners, are
pictured on the left. Esther is a pro with activities, having worked
with the YMCA and has great ideas for the festival.

As always, I
welcome your input. If you have comments on titles we have endorsed;
notices of media awards, publications, and products; or suggestions
for articles. . . Please drop me a line.

For all of our
readers in the LA area, I'd like to remind you of two upcoming events
this week at the Moondance International Film Festial. This Friday,
June 9, from 3-4:50 p.m. KID FIRST! is presenting a panel on children's
filmmaking:

Successful Children's Filmmaking: Know Your Market Before
You Shoot.
A panel of five industry insiders reveal what works and what doesn't
in children's films and DVDS. They'll share their combined half-century
of experiences, both successes and failures, and offer insights
into the future of children’s entertainment. Before you spend
one minute or one dollar on production, these tips can help you
direct your valuable resources in the right direction for success.
Panel moderator, Ranny Levy is founder & president of the KIDS
FIRST! Film and Video Festival. Panelists include: Tom Siegrist,
VP of Production, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; Jere
Rae-Mansfield, President, Monterey Media; Martin Blythe, Studio
Publicist; Larry Balaban, Creator of Baby Genius; and Doug Zwick,
Independent Agent.

A special 50% discount off the regular $50 fee has been arranged
for all KIDS FIRST! members, so take advantage of your membership
and attend. I promise you it will be worth every nickel. This is
a stellar cast of speakers.

Also at Moondance, a special screening of The
Blue Butterfly, starring Academy Award winner William Hurt,
will be shown Sunday, June 11 at 2:00 p.m.. Admission $10.

Both of these
Moondance events will take place at the Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose
Ave. in Hollywood.

Ann and I will both be at the panel so, come up and introduce yourself.

So many of you have inquired about what's happening in Yogyakarta,
that we are sending this common letter and appeal for help. First,
thanks to everyone whos contacted us to ask if we, our friends
and colleagues in Indonesia are alright. We are! Often there isnt
a direct way for outsiders to help out in times of disaster. In
this case, we admire and care very much for the people at the Puri
Language school in Yogya, and urge you to express your concern for
the people of Yogya through them. The school was not affected by
the quake, and they are still teaching, keeping their business going.
Besides running an excellent language school that warmly brings
outsiders into their culture, they are on the ground and providing
direct aid through food and other supplies. They have an ongoing
social assistance/social action program as part of their organization.
We are sending them money directly. If you also want to give assistance
to local actors without going through large international aid structures,
we recommend you send funds to them for earthquake relief. They
have said in a previous email that they will be issuing reports
on how the money they receive was used. We trust them highly. Again,
thanks to all of you who have stayed in touch, Warm regards, Eran

ONLINE
JUROR TRAINING PROGRAM

Concerned
about what kids watch? Want to do something about it? Become a KIDS FIRST!® juror. It's easy. Take our online training. It will
take you about four hours to complete and we will provide you with
your own personal trainer. The $40 fee is 100% reimbursable once
you evaluate six titles for KIDS FIRST!® . You may keep any movie
you approve. What a wonderful way for teachers, librarians, parents,
and daycare providers to build their own quality media library while
helping evaluate movies for others. To register or get more information,
please visit
our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

Scrambled
States of America...and More Stories to Celebrate Our Country.
Carefully adapted stories about the states, based on books and songs
by Laurie Keller, Woody Guthrie and Francis Scott Key. The Star
Spangled Banner is performed by Aretha Franklin, This Land
is Your Land is sung by Arlo Guthrie. DVD. 65 min.; $14.95;
Age: 5-18. Scholastic Entertainment.

The
Magic of Martial Arts: Power Without Violence. Master Eastwest,
a playful martial artist, teaches kids the ethics of how to use
karate and when not to use it. Magic tricks, jokes and music mix
with interactive karate instruction. Includes self-defense and nonviolent
conflict resolution techniques. 30
min.; $14.95; Age: 6-10. Magic of Martial Arts Productions.

The
Big Aquarium. Visit the largest freshwater aquarium in the world
in Chattanooga, TN. Shows hundreds of fish and animals from various
habitats, divers feeding fish and looks behind-the-scenes at the
control center, the veterinarian and the research lab. DVD. 48 min.;
$14.95; Age: 5-8. Little Mammoth Media.

*** = Titles
receiving the highest scores are given a three-star rating.
** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star
rating.
* = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra
consideration on the part of the viewer receive a one-star rating.

Audio
- Ages 2-5

***
Wai
Lana's Little Yogis Fun Songs CD. Wai Lana's latest fun-filled
music fest will have the whole family singing, dancing, humming,
and tapping! Adult Juror Comments: Beautiful recording. So enjoyable
and fun. The songs are gentle yet lively and full of imagination.
The book is a piece of art in and of itself. Wai Lana takes nature
from animals to trees and sings about them at a child's level. She
uses the music to create an image that backs up the words of the
songs and create a safe and comfortable environment. Clear and easy
to understand, the songs are perfectly paced for the target age
group. Kid Juror Comments: A big hit with the kids, especially the
book. One three-year-old wanted to sleep with it. They loved the
songs and wanted to play the CD over and over. They recognized some
songs from the yoga video they'd already reviewed. "Great.
I love these songs." Kids sang along and kept asking for more.
Favorite part: the snake, lion and the dream one at the end. Audio.
50 min.; $18.95; Age: 3-6. WAI LANA PRODUCTIONS.

Video/DVD-Ages
5-8

**
Lost
in the Woods: The Movie. Together, an old box turtle, Shirley,
and a lost raccoon, Fernando Hernandafandavez, discover the magic
of spring and learn what happens to a young fawn alone in the woods.
Based on the children's book, Lost in the Woods. Adult Juror
Comments: Cute. Unhurried and gentle, like a bedtime story. Anthropomorphic
animals interacting with one another. The voices with accents are
cute and clever. The natural setting makes it believable and the
story offers a good lesson. Cinematography very good, especially
the close ups of the animals. Adults had mixed reactions to the
music. Kid Juror Comments: Cute, funny, at times - hilarious. Some
of the kids were mesmerized by the story and song along with the
songs. They enjoyed the story. " The raccoon is trying to find
his brother and has to learn patience. The animals are kind to each
other." The raccoon was their favorite character. Kids hardly
noticed the Latino stereotype given to the raccoon. DVD. 29 min.;
$19.95; Age: 4-8. CARL R. SAMS II PHOTOGRAPHY.

Video/DVD-Ages 8-12

*
The
Capt'n Gravity Ranger Program. Movement is the language of the
brain. The Capt'N Gravity Ranger Program improves your child's learning
skills through exercise. Improved coordination promotes improved
learning. Movement knowledge is brain science. Step into your learning
curve. Adult Juror Comments: Interesting and well done. Basically,
it's an exercise program with a good idea and concepts, although
it's a bit corny. Presentation is simple and basic, suitable for
kids and emphasizes the importance of keeping our bodies in shape.
"I like the way Einstein's comments are thrown in." Kid
Juror Comments: Most liked it and joined in with the movements.
They enjoyed the cinematography, especially the ocean and beach
shots. Some of the information really intrigued them, i.e.."They
were shifting their body weight to get their brain working."
DVD. 30 min.; Age: 8-12. DR. GERALD BRICKLEY LLC.

SELECTIONS
FROM KIDS FIRST!® FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL 2005 ****************************************************************************************************************For a complete list of all Festival titles currently
being shown, visit
our website.

DVD
Sneak PeekBig Momma's
House L. 99 min. Martin Lawrence
returns as FBI agent Malcolm Turner, a master of disguise who again
goes deep, deep undercover as the corpulent septuagenarian "Big
Momma." To avert a national security disaster, Big Momma becomes
a nanny housekeeper in the suspect's household - only to find him/herself
becoming attached to the three children of the dysfunctional clan.
Age: 12-18. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

DVD
Sneak PeekBlue's
Clues: Blue's Jobs A. 102 min.
All of our friends are pretending to have different occupations,
and we play Blue's Clues to figure out what Blue wants to be. Steve,
who is being a reporter for the day, needs our help figuring out
what occupations our other friends are pretending to have. Then
we skidoo into a picture and help Door build his house by calling
on the right workers to complete their appropriate tasks. Age: 2-5.
Paramount Home Entertainment.

Independent
ProductionEmilys
First 100 Days of School A.. 36 min.
With so much to do on her first day of school, Emily feels like
it will take forever to reach 100 when her teacher announces they
will have a party after 100 days. As the days and weeks go by, Emily
and her new classmates learn new ideas, expand their world, and
grow closer together one day at a time. Brilliantly narrated by
Diana Canova. Directed by Gene Deitch. Co-produced by JZ Media and
Weston Woods. Book by Rosemary Wells Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Age: 3-7. Scholastic Entertainment/Weston Woods.

DVD
Sneak PeekFairly
OddParents: Fairy Idol A. 80 min.
Genie has had enough of being a genie. He's sick of all the lame
masters he's had to serve throughout the centuries, he's sick of
granting the same unimaginative three wishes over and over again,
and he is sick and tired of his lamp. But this will all soon change.
While reading a copy of "Da Rules," Norm learns that if
a Fairy God Parent quits his or her job, all the magical wish-granting
creatures in the universe may apply for the vacant post. And Norm
knows just the two fairies that could be tricked into quitting:
Cosmo and Wanda. Age: 5-8. Paramount Home Entertainment.

DVD
Sneak PeekHondo
& Fabian A. 6 min.
What happens when the dog of the house goes to the beach and leaves
the cat at home with the baby? Find out in this gentle tale of the
two very different days of house pets, Hondo the dog, and Fabian
the cat. Narrated by Jeff Brooks, with music by Joel Goodman &
David Bramfitt. Book by Peter McCarty Illustrator: Peter McCarty.
Caldecott Honor Book; ALA Notable Book; NY Times Best Illustrated
Book of the Year. Age: 4-8. Weston Woods/Scholastic Entertainment.

NEW
AND RENEWING MEMBERS
***************************************************Please welcome these new or renewing members
and visit their web sites.

Entertainment
Technology Center

Ringmaster
Entertainment LLC

MEMBER
NEWS
****************************************************PBS and Discovery Education Partner Up
A number of PBS series and specials will be available for distribution
to schools through Discovery Education's digital videostreaming
learning service. The PBS programs will be correlated to state curriculum
standards and offered for teachers to stream or download for use
in class. Discovery Education's learning service is licensed to
70,000+ schools.

Chicka Chicka
1 2 3
The award-winning childrens counting book comes to bouncy
musical life with an all-new release in the Scholastic Video Collection.
Chicka Chicka 1 2 3 and More Stories About Counting,
sure to become a treasured family classic, features three stories
about numbers and counting, and will be available to add to every
home entertainment library on June 27, 2006.

MEDIA
NEWS
****************************************************Let
4 Million Parents Learn About Your DVD/Video for Children!
The 2006 NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards) Children's
Products competition is now accepting entries. NAPPA Gold award
winners are featured in the holiday issues of more than 30 regional
parenting publications in the top markets nationwide. Gold and Honor
winners reach half a million parents each month on Parenthood.com,
one of the most frequented and respected parenting websites. Entries
are judged for content, production quality, and social value. You
could be a winner! Deadline is June 30, 2006. To enter, call NAPPA
at 617-522-1515 or download an entry form today at the NAPPA website
at Parenthood.com.

Kaiser Releases
New Study
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new study this week that
shows how parents of kids age 6 and under are using media -- specifically
television -- to cope with their stressful lives. The report is
at http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia052406nr.cfm.

FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
********************************************PBS
Kids Sprout Honors FathersPapa Bear's Day, a three-hour Berenstain Bears marathon airs
Sunday, June 18, 12-3p. The block features a guest voice-over by
Papa Bear. Similarly throughout the afternoon, Sprout host, Kevin,
celebrates Dads by showing off homemade cards sent in by kids and
through an on-air crawl.

******************************************Beau Bridges, Actor and Father by Christine
L. Pollock

When
I mention the name Beau Bridges to my friends, I usually get a run-down
on which movies they love starring Beau, his father, or his brother.
Whether it's acting in Stargate-SG 1, or playing on the T-ball
field with his children, Bridges approaches his life with enthusiastic
determination. Media have permeated his existence from birth, and
he brings his expertise from the set to his role as parent.

Beau Bridges
began his life in a burst of drama. He was born by candlelight in
California during a blackout two days after the attack on Pearl
Harbor. At birth he was named Lloyd Vernet Bridges III, but his
parents immediately started calling him Beau after Ashley Wilkes'
son in Gone with the Wind. He did some acting in his childhood
and put aside his college career when he landed his first major
role in 1967.

Watching his
famous father's career and working as an actor, producer and director
himself, Bridges has a unique inside view of the world of film.
He has seen the exciting transitions from black and white shows
of his childhood, like The Lone Ranger, to the modern technology
his children enjoy, which enables viewers to watch on the Internet
and Ti-Vo. To him, the excitement of media is the ability to pass
on stories. "The movie screen is a great tool for vast communication,"
says Bridges, who films some titles to raise awareness on important
issues such as Smile (which deals with friendships in spite
of infirmities) and Hidden in America (which deals with life's
hardships).

When he gets
a part, it's a family event. Bridges enjoys researching and learning
the history of his characters, and he shares that pleasure with
his children, who actively participate in the research. His family
is very comfortable talking about the correlation between media
and life. Bridges believes that it is important for parents involve
themselves with their children's interaction with media. He comments,
"They (the kids) need to know what's what." Bridges thinks
one of the worst mistakes a parent can make is to hide from the
negative aspects of media by pretending they don't exist. Parents
need to make rules so media use is not abused by overuse or viewing
by inappropriate age groups.

Bridges and
his wife must be doing something right. All but one of Bridges children
are now grown and out of the house and so far, the majority have
careers in film. Bridges continues to act in television and film.
He has a gift for acting in many genres and for all ages. This year
you can watch him on the television series, Stargate-SG 1,
where he plays the role of General Henry "Hank" Landry.
Or, if you would rather go to the theater, you can hear his voice
as it joins the voices of Julia Roberts and Robert Redford's in
the Paramount rendition of the timeless classic, Charlotte's
Web (coming to theaters December 20, 2006). Bridges is Dr. Dorian's
voice.

At home, Bridges'
eleven-year-old son, Zeke, doesn't watch a lot of TV during the
week because of sports and school activities. However, when he does,
it has to be approved by his mom, Wendy Treece Bridges. Bridges'
family relies heavily on Ti-Vo and discusses what is watched. If
Zeke wants to view something edgy, his parents watch it with him
and discuss what they are viewing. Bridges feels that TV is a great
tool to help parents and children communicate. Bridges supports
organizations like KIDS FIRST!® because of his dedication to
family and positive programming for children.

************************************************************CRAFTS
AND ACTIVITIES

Father's
DayFathers Day is a great time to enjoy a video that shows fathers
and children doing something that is interesting such as an outdoor
adventure, camping, white water rafting, making something together
or traveling to a new place. Children benefit from special experiences
shared with each parent. They learn something about themselves and
each parent and build a special relationship with each one. Some
great KIDS FIRST!® titles which highlight the father/child relationship
are Rembrandt:
Fathers and Sons and Exercise
With Daddy and Me.

KIDS FIRST!® Film and Video Festival
Schedule********************************************************************
Join us as we travel around the country with film festivals. Find
out when we will be in a town near you. For details read
here

June 15-18,
2006. Marriott Oakland City Center. The annual meeting of the National
Women's Studies Association. For information go to: http://www.nwsa.org.

June 23-25.
Bowling Green, OH. 2006 Allied Media
Conference. This symposium on media literacy includes presentations
such as "Democracy Needs Active Media Education," "A
Careful Eye, a Good Ear: The Smartest Media Consumer Is a Good Media
Producer," "Marketing, Minors and the Military,"
and more.

June 26-30,
2006 John Ansen Ford Amphitheater (across from the Hollywood Bowl).
The What IFFF? Kids Film Festival and Film Camp. International
Family Film Festival promotes and encourages the creation and
sharing of the family film screenplay through professional and children's
hands-on workshops and seminars. Submission Deadline: June 1, 2006.
Applications are on their web
site.

June 29-July
2, 2006. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Democracy and
Independence: Sharing News in a Connected World. The conference
is designed for citizens interested in learning about new innovations
in web, print, film, and audio news creation and delivery. More
Information.

June 30, 2006.
Deadline for the 2006 NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards)
Children's Products competition. Gold and Honor winners reach half
a million parents each month on Parenthood.com, one of the most
frequented and respected parenting websites. To enter, call NAPPA
at 617-522-1515 or download an entry form at the NAPPA website at
Parenthood.com.

July 16 - 21,
2006. Los Angeles, CA. American Indian Summer Institute. Presented
by the FOX Entertainment Group Diversity Development Department
in association with the Native Media and Technology Network for
18-25-year-old American Indian participants.The Institute covers
100% of the cost of the program and related expenses, including
lodging and meals. Roundtrip travel to Los Angeles is not included
as part of these expenses. Native American participants can apply
for up to $500 for airfare through NAPT's Producer Opportunity Fund.
Information at http://www.nativetelecom.org/producers_guidelines_oppfund.html.

September 27-October
1, 2006 The Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton, Tucson, AZ. The
28th National Media Market. The National Media Market presents
an exceptional opportunity for media professionals who purchase
for public libraries, universities, media/technology centers and
educational broadcasting to screen the newest and best quality motion
media from 55 prominent producers and distributors. Professional
Development sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions further
enhance the Market experience.

October 27-28
Boston, MA. 5th Annual Summit of the Coalition
for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Consuming Kids: Marketing
in Schools and Beyond. The summit will "bring together
distinguished scholars, activists, parents, and educators to discuss
how marketing undermines childrens health and wellbeing and
what we can do about it. The 2006 summit features a special focus
on marketing in schools."

November 19-24
Canada's National Media Education Week. The first of its kind in
Canada, this week will highlight the importance of media literacy
and Web literacy as key learning areas in the information age. Read
More.

KIDS FIRST!®
Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST!® , and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission
to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one
million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment
for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST!® Cares, click
here. All credit card transactions are secure.

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********************************************************************
Become a Coalition for Quality Children's Media Member
If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider
becoming a member of KIDS FIRST!® Members help underwrite the
various projects of this organization. The Coalition for Quality
Children's Media relies on the generous support of its members and
donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership
is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An
independent producer membership is $200. To join, go to: http://www.kidsfirst.org
or contact our office at 505.989.8076.

ABOUT
CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!®
******************************************KIDS FIRST!® is the not-for-profit Coalition for Quality Children's
Media's initiative that evaluates and rates children's media - videotapes,
CD-ROMs and television - using a highly acclaimed method that has
been praised by parents and educators alike. It utilizes professionally
designed criteria and evaluation tools and engages a volunteer jury
comprising child development professionals, teachers and parents
nationwide and children of diverse geographic, socioeconomic and
ethnic backgrounds. KIDS FIRST!® endorsed titles appeal to people
around the world and include many programs on topics important to
children's development. KIDS FIRST!® -endorsed titles are available
on CQCM's award-winning Internet site, in the KIDS FIRST!® Film
and Video Festival and in reviews we provide to more than 75 publications.